Madsen's Shop
& Supply Inc.

Depth Gauge Maintenance On
Pro Saw Chain

Depth gauges, "riders," or "rakers," as they are sometimes
called, control the
amount of wood severed by a cutter tooth. During the life of
a
pro saw chain, they occasionally need maintenance for top cutting
performance.

When your chain is new, its depth gauges are set
correctly, but after a chain is sharpened a time or two, they may need
maintenance. As you can see in the graphic, the top of the
cutter
tooth slopes back. Each time the chain is sharpened, the top corner of
the cutter tooth gets lower. If the depth gauges
are not measured and maintained, each time the chain is sharpened, the
tooth cuts
thinner and thinner chips. Eventually it won't cut anything at
all.

Before
you perform any depth gauge maintenance (lower them) you need to learn
what the setting is. The image above is an Oregon brand cutter tooth.
As you can see, the correct depth, .025", is stamped on the depth
gauge. With other saw chain that lack this stamp, consult a dealer or
manufacturer for information on proper depth gauge height. Knowing the
correct height is important, because if the depth gauges are not set
correctly, the chain is more dangerous to operate.

Frequently Asked Questions

The following are some common depth gauge questions and
answers to them:

Q: How often should you shorten depth gauges on your pro saw
chain?

A: After you sharpen the chain, you should check the depth
gauges
(rakers). If they measure less than what is recommended, they need to
be shortened.
If you don't pay attention to them, the chain will not feed, even when
it's sharp.

Q: What about making a "hungry" chain by cutting the depth
gauges low?

A: Do not cut the depth gauges too low. Oregon Cutting Systems
recommends .025" for most of their professional saw chain. Low depth
gauge settings require more power from your
saw motor, shorten the life of your chain, cut rougher, increase
operator fatigue, and increase the
risk of kickback injury.

Q: Some guys count file strokes and take a few off each raker
each time they sharpen. Does this work?

A: No this is a bad practice. Each file stroke does not take
an
equal amount of material from the depth gauge. While it might seem to
work at first, each time you do it, the inaccuracy of method adds up.
Before long the depth gauges are not even. Since you're not measuring,
this is also a recipe for getting the depth gauges too low. This makes
the chain dangerous to use.

Q: What happens if the depth gauges are uneven?

A: When depth gauges are uneven, each cutter tooth on the
chain
takes a different sized bite. This causes the chain to cut rough and
vibrate. If the depth gauges are higher on one side than the other,
this causes the chain to cut crooked. The cut will pull in the
direction of the side that has the lower depth gauges.

Q: What is the best way to cut depth gauges accurately?

A: It is best to measure each depth gauge with a measuring
tool.
These tools are easy to use and ensure depth gauges are all the proper
height.

Our Advice

Some pro saw users cut depth gauges too low. In most cases,
this is an attempt to make up for poorly sharpened teeth. They think
by
making the chain more aggressive, this will offset the characteristics
of dull
and inefficient cutter teeth. This isn't the case. The fact is,
you can't make up the difference -- and when you cut depth gauges too
low,
on top of bad cutting performance, the chain is more dangerous to use.

Pay attention to your chain's depth gauges. For help doing
what many consider to be a tedious job, check out this link to the Silvey HDG-6.